Swiss victim support centres saw rise in demand in 2023
The most common reason for contacting a victim support helpline last year was physical violence.
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Victim support centres carried out a total of 49,055 consultations last year, up 5% on 2022. Over 70% of cases involved female victims or relatives of victims.
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In 72% of cases, the victim indicated that he or she knew the alleged offender, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) said on Tuesday. In two out of five cases, it was a partner or ex-partner.
Almost a fifth of those concerned were minors at the time of the consultation, and just under half were Swiss nationals.
The FSO says that 46% of consultations concerned bodily harm or assault, a third of cases involved blackmail, coercion or threats, and 31% concerned sexual offences. One consultation may be linked to several offences, noted the FSO.
Last year, 1,132 requests for compensation or moral reparation were submitted. The 26 cantons correspondingly paid out a total of CHF6.1 million ($6.8 million), up 5% on the previous year.
Adapted from French by DeepL/dos
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